


so cold (outside), so warm (in my heart)

by heismysoulmate



Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: (kind of), Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Gilbert-centric, Happy Birthday Gilbert!, M/M, Surprises, birthday fic, everyone is happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:21:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22570045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heismysoulmate/pseuds/heismysoulmate
Summary: Gilbert easily forgets about things that don't concern Oz. But luckily Oz is always there, being a good friend.
Relationships: Gilbert Nightray & Oz Vessalius, Gilbert Nightray/Oz Vessalius
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	so cold (outside), so warm (in my heart)

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is so rushed, agh. but i really wanted to write something, and i'm in the middle of my exams right now. so i just hope there's not much mistakes :(  
> anyway, happy birthday to my favourite pandora character <3

Gilbert lazily opened his eyes. The room was dim, partially due to closed curtains, but it was probably not very bright outside, either. Last few days were very cloudy and it was hard to see the sun.

He blinked slowly. He had a feeling that he had a nice dream, but couldn’t remember what it was about. Nightray wanted to stay in bed a little longer, and try to recall it, but he didn’t want to risk Vincent would get worried he’s late for breakfast, and will come to his room. Vince was really overprotective sometimes.

But before getting up, he reached out for his phone, to send a quick message to his best friend.

_ > Morning, Oz! _

It was part of his morning routine. He was always texting Oz right after opening his eyes. Sometimes Gilbert was worried he might wake him up, but Vessalius assured him it’s okay, and he likes to see a message from Gil after waking up (which caused the latter to flush the brightest shade of pink).

He didn’t get an answer, so he assumed that his friend is still sleeping. So Gilbert got up, and went to bathroom to change, before going down to make breakfast for his younger brother.

***

Something was wrong. Gilbert felt that.

Apart from responding to his ‘good morning’, Oz didn’t write anything, which was unusual for his best friend. 

After some time passed, Gil decided to ask if everything is okay. Oz texted back within the matter of minutes, saying that he’s just busy. But didn’t say with what. It made Gilbert feel uneasy. He was used to spending almost all his time with the other, and helping him with everything.

Vincent also went out after eating breakfast, so without his constant nagging and begging for Gilbert’s attention, there was nothing in the house to keep him busy.

It was a quiet, peaceful day. Snow was lazily falling down from dark gray clouds. There was no wind. Gilbert found himself looking outside the window, at snowflakes slowly descending from the sky. There was something calming in that.

Later that day, when he was reading a book, and wondering if Vincent will come back for dinner, he got a text.

_ > hey gil, how fast can you be in my house? _

Gilbert wondered for a moment.

_ > 15 minutes? _

_ > doors are open, i’m waiting _

He didn’t think that it got darker, and wind started blowing, and there was much more snow falling now. Oz needed him, so he would be there for him, no matter the weather.

Exactly fourteen minutes later, Gilbert entered the Vessalius’ house.

“Oz?” He asked, while hanging his coat.

“I’m upstairs!”

Gilbert went up the stairs, slowly regaining warmth in hands and legs, after low temperatures outside.

He saw the light at the end of the corridor, coming from the closed doors to the “game room”, as Oz used to call that big room. Even if they never played there anything more than some video games, on the big TV screen. 

But it was weird, because those doors were open as long as Gil can remember. And he knew Oz, and was a constant guest in this house, since they both were little kids.

He opened the door, but before he could say anything, he was attacked with confetti, and people screaming.

“Happy birthday, Gilbert!”

“W- What?”

He heard a chuckle next to him.

“You forgot, didn’t you?”

Gilbert turned to see Vincent, looking at him with soft smile.

“Ah, Gil, how could you forget about your own birthday?” Oz asked, suddenly approaching and poking him in his cheek, catching him off guard.

“I- I-”

He looked around the room. It was dressed in birthday decorations, and at the table, beside the snacks, he could see a chocolate cake (his favourite).

Gilbert thought back to when he looked at him phone today. Yeah, right. Next to an hour, he saw that today was February 5th. His birthday.

“This is what you were busy with?” He asked, looking at Oz with big eyes.

“Yeah…” His smile faltered. “You don’t like it?”

“No! I mean, I love it, but… You didn’t have to.”

“But I wanted to. For you.”

Gilbert felt his cheeks reddening, but before he had a chance to answer, he was stopped by Alice’s annoyed voice.

“We are in the room, too, you know.”

Nightray looked at the other people gathered there. 

Alice was sitting by the window, in her usual clothes, but her hair were styled differently. He suspected it was the best Sharon could manage, to convince her to do. She was frowning, but Gilbert knew that as soon as she’ll eat it will pass. She wouldn’t be here if she didn’t want to. 

Break, Sharon and Liam, were occupying the couch. Xerxes waved at him, tauntingly, while the other two, were just smiling. 

And on the two bean bags, next to each other, were sitting Elliot and Leo. Gilbert was actually surprised to see his brother here. Ever since he and Vincent moved out, to their own house, the relationship between him and Elliot was tense. Even now young Nightray wasn’t looking at him, and Gilbert suspected it was Oz who made him come. After all, it was very hard to say “no” to Oz.

But still Gilbert smiled. It was nice they all remembered about his birthday and came.

“Happy birthday, Gil!” Vince screamed, hugging him from behind. “Time for presents!”

He tried to say it was unnecessary. He didn’t need any presents, this party was enough, and they didn’t have to, and… One stern look from Oz made him shut up, and gratefully accept all packages.

When it was Elliot’s turn, Gil suspected he would just send Leo. But Baskerville just nudged his friend, and Elliot sighed, and went to him himself.

“It’s from me and Leo,” He murmured, handing him a small box. “And I’m sorry for being dick about you moving out. I already talked with Vincent, I don’t mind you living on your own, if this is what you want.”

“Elliot…”

“Just… sorry.”

“I’m not mad at you or anything,” Gilbert said, and that’s when his brother raised his gaze to see him smiling face. “I’m just really glad you’re over it. Can it be okay between us, again?”

“I-” Elliot seemed to get flustered. He really was a softie deep down. “If that what you want.”

“It is,” Gilbert assured him.

Elliot send him a small smile in answer.

“Is it finally time to eat?” Alice asked, stomping her foot.

That’s when Gilbert felt someone leaning in from behind, and whispering in his ear.

“I’ll give you my present later, okay?”

The mischievous glint in Oz’s eyes couldn’t mean anything good. What his best friend could get him?

The shiver went down his spine.

Don’t get him wrong, he loved Oz. Like literally loved him, in a romantic way, which he would never admit to anyone. But he really did. Vessalius was the most important person in his life, he would do anything for him, and he trusted him absolutely. 

But Oz was Oz. And he was sometimes having weird ideas, which ones almost ended up with them going to prison. So it was natural, that Nightray was a little scared.

“Gilbert, come cut the cake!”

But he still had time. So he decided to not think about it, and try to enjoy this party.

***

When everyone went home, Gilbert offered he can help Oz with cleaning, but boy just handed him a piece of material.

“What…”

“Tie it around your eyes. It’s about your present.”

“What?!” Gilbert look at the piece of material as if it was about to bite him.

“I need to take you somewhere, but you can’t see. It will destroy the surprise.” Vessalius explained, as if it was the most obvious thing under the sun. Well, maybe it was.

“Oz, I don’t think it’s a good…”

“You don’t trust me?”

Those green eyes, that were looking deep into his soul...

Gilbert sighed. “Of course I do.”

He tied the blindfold. Great, now he didn’t see anything, how is he supposed to get wherever Oz wanted to take him?

“Okay, let’s go!” His friend announced happily.

Suddenly there was a warm hand in his, and Gilbert felt his brain shortcutting.

Oz was holding his hand.

Oz was holding his hand.

He was holding hands with Oz!

Nightray had no idea when they slowly got downstairs, he only felt when they went outside, and a cold wind hit his skin. 

Gilbert furrowed his brows. They left their coats at home, and even if it stopped snowing, Oz will get sick if they are going to go anywhere without them.

But before he had a chance to protest, he heard a car’s door opening, and Oz gently pushed him inside.

“Oz, where are we going?” He asked, when the other was buckling him up.

“I can’t tell you, it’s a surprise, Gil.”

They drove for some time. Music was playing from the radio, and Oz was humming happily to the tune. It was… surprisingly really nice.

When car finally stopped, Gilbert tried to take the blindfold off, but Vessalius stopped his hand midair.

“Not yet.”

And so he helped him out the car, and took his hand again, to drag him somewhere. 

There was a sound of door opening, and then they were inside.

“Good afternoon!” Oz greeted someone, and suddenly Gilbert felt very flustered. Just how weird they probably must have looked?

He murmured quiet greeting, before he heard someone’s laugh.

“Good afternoon, Oz. And I suspect this is a friend you’ve been talking about?”

“Yup, that’s Gil!” Boy confirmed happily. “Is he ready?”

“Yes, just like we agreed on. I’ll go for him.”

There was a silence, and Gilbert started feeling really uncomfortable.

“Oz…”

“Just a moment longer,” his friend reassured him, while drawing lazy circles on his hand. 

Oh, they were still holding hands.

“Here he goes!”

Suddenly Gilbert felt something nudging on his feet and… sniffing?

“Okay, you can look now.”

Gilbert took the blindfold off, with a relief, to see… black German Shepherd.

“Gil, meet Raven,” Oz announced.

“Um… what?”

Gilbert was looking at dog with unsure expression, while dog was still busy with sniffing his legs.

“I already talked with Vincent. He and I will take care of Raven when you’ll be at work, so you don’t need to worry about that. You always wanted to have a dog, ever since we were little, and now when you live alone you finally can, so…”

“You got me a dog?!”

Gilbert looked at him with wide eyes, not believing what was happening.

“Y- yeah?” Oz looked confused about his reaction, and so did the shelter’s owner who was standing behind him.

“Oz, you…”

Gilbert shook his head. He had to do something, or he'll kiss that beautiful idiot right here and now. So he crouched down.

“Hey, Raven,” he said quietly, scratching dog behind ears.

German Shepherd seemed to like it, because he started wailing his tail.

Gilbert couldn’t stop a big smile, when he started petting a happy animal. He finally had a dog! He loved him already.

“Do you want to go home, with me?”

Raven barked in an answer.

Oz already took care of the paperwork beforehand, so Gilbert just took the leash and, after saying goodbyes, they went back to the car.

“It’ll probably be better if I sit with Raven in the back. We don’t know how he’s going to behave in the car.”

“Mhmm,” Oz hummed in agreement, but he seemed to be thinking about something else.

“Hey, Oz.” Gilbert stopped him. “Thank you. For everything. For the party, for Raven, you did so much for me, you always do, and I’m really grateful. Thank you.” Nightray smiled warmly at his best friend.

He didn’t expect Oz to lean in, and kiss his cheek, whispering “Happy birthday, Gil”.

For Gilbert, it was indeed, and very happy birthday.


End file.
